Coin-operated vending-machine.



H. S. MILLS.

COlN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED Nov. 22, 1915.

1, 17569. Patented Mar. 14, 1918.

3 SHEETS-*SHEET I.

H. s. M1118.

COIN OPERATED VENDlNG MACHINE,

APPLICATION HLED Nov. 22. 19.15.

1., 1751469., Patented Mar. 14,1918.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

H. S. MILLS.

COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1915.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

3 SHE ETS-SHEET 3. f?

HERBERT S. MILL'S, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

COIN-OPERA'I'ED VENDING-MAOHINE.

Lrrsaoa.

Specification of Letters Patent.` Patentd M3113 149 19160 Applicationfiled November 22, 1915. Serial No. 62,751.

To (/ZZ 'lv/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. MILLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Im- ]n'ovement in Coin Operated VendingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of machines forvending articles in package form from a magazine containingia pile ofthe packages tobe released, one at a time, for delivery by escapementmeans normally supporting the pile at its base and actuated, to effectthe release, by mechanism requiring the insertion into it of a coin ortoken to render it operative.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved vending machineby a view in front elevation; Fig. 2 is a similar but partly brokenviewof the same with the housing cover for the mechanism removed; Fig. 3 isa section on line 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4; is a section on line 4, Fig. 3;Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken sectional view, in the full size ofthemachine, showing the coin-operated mechanism with a coin introdncedtherein to render it operative, the section being taken on line 5, Fig.3; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the same while undergoing operationthrough the medium of the inserted coin; Fig. 7 is a section on theirregular line 7, Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a section on line 8, Fig. l, andFig. 9 is an enlarged section on line 9, Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, the machine comprises anoblong-rectangular base 10, preferably of wood, for carrying the coin'-operated mechanism, the escapement operatively connected with it, amagazine 11 for the articles to be vended in cartons 12, acoin-receptacle 13, and a housing or casing 14 covering the mechanism onand fitting about the edges of the base, to which it is fastened by apadlock 15 at coinciding perforated ears projecting respectively fromthe lower ends of the casing and base. The casing, which is shown tocarry a mirror 16 centrally on its face, is provided near the right-handedge of the mirror with an insertion-slot 18 for coins 18a, as silverdimes, an aperture 19 for the push-bar to work through in coperatingwith an inserted coin to produce delivery from the magazine, and a lowerdelivery-opening lfl.

About midway between the ends of the Wooden base is countersunk into itsface a metal plate 20. On this plate is secured, near 1t s right-hand vedge, coin-operated mechanlsmpof the following-described `construction:A coin-chute 21 is fastened at its upper end, to register its mouthwith,the lnsertion-slot 18, by a rear brace 22 to the base 10, and thechute curves thence down- Wardly to bear at its lower end against theplate, Where it is rigidly fastened as by screws. Acast bracket 23 (Fig.3 is secured, at an upper Vertical foot 23a thereon, to the plate 20,and near this foot the horizontal member of the bracket is notched tolet into it and thus clear the adjacent edge of the coin-chute. A bar24, forming part of the casting, depends at the outer end of theaforesaid notch and is connected by a lower brace-bar 25 with theforward vertical member of the bracket; and this bar has eX- tendmgrearwardly from it a foot 23h. The base contains an aperture 26 (Fig.7), over a section of which extends the thickened or head-portion 27 ofan oblong rectangular bar 28 fastened, at 283,'through its tail-piece orlower-end portion to the plate 20. The head 27, to which the foot 23b ofthe bracket is fastened, is undercut from its inner toward 1ts outeredge to space it throughout about one-half of its length, from thesurface of the plate. 20; and this undercut portion of the head containsa recess 29 of general rectangular shape. The lower end of the Verticalbracket-member and that of the bar 24 are provided With alining slots,in which is supported from underneath by cotters and guided to Workthrough the recess 29, a spring-retracted push-bar 30 pro- ]ecting atits outer thickened end through the casing-slot 19, thus into accessibleposition for Operating the machine. A springpressed pawl 31 is pivotedon the brace-bar 25 to engage a ratchet on the upper edge of thepush-bar, as a common expedient for preventing retraction of the barbefore completion of its inward stroke. The push-bar has its inner-endportion extending flatwise 01' slightly inclined from a right-anglerelative to the part provided With the aforesaid ratchet en its upperedge; and this fiattened portion is beveled at 30a to render it camlike,and carries a stud 32 on its upper face adjacent to the rear end of thebevel, for purposes hereinafter explained.

A bell-crank 33 is fulcrumed at its angle to the plate adjacent to thelower end of the bar 28. The shorter arm of this bell-crank bears, underthe pressure of a spring 34 connected with the end of its longer arm,normally against the inner edge of the head 27. The shorter bell-crank.arm has its inneredge portion bent upon itself to form an inclined -orcam-like pocket-member 35 registering with the space behind the undercutportion of the head 27; and that arm is expanded laterally at itsupper-end portion, as shown at 35a, Fig. 7, to project into the spacebehind the head 27, the expanded section 35a carrying on its side-edge acam-finger, 36 projecting backwardly into the base-aperture 26 andextending there into the path of the push-bar stud 32.

On the plate 20 near its lower end is secured, to extend transversely ofthe plate, a bracket 37 of general U-shape having the ends of itsforwardly projecting arms bent toward each other to form correspondingbearings for the forward ends of pivot-bolts 38 and 39, the bearings fortheir opposite ends being in the bracket 37. An L-shaped lever 40 ispivoted near its angle on the bolt 38 to extend its longer arm along theface of the base of the U-shaped bracket 37, and is provided on theextremity of its shorter arm With an escapement-finger 41, centrallythrough which the bolt 38 also passes. The upper end of this fingercarries an inwardly projecting point 41a for penetrating the adjacentend of a carton, and a foot-like ledge 41b projects inwardly on itsopposite end.`

A Companion-finger 41, in all respects like the finger alreadydescribed, including a point 41a on its upper end and a foot-like ledge41b on its lowerend, is provided on the extremity of the shorter arm ofan L- shaped lever 42 pivoted on the bolt 39, the longer arm of thislever extending along the base of the bracket 37 and carrying a stud 43near its inner end, which is overlapped by the adjacent end of the lever40, where it contains a slot 44 in which the stud 43 works.

-A link 45 connects the lever 42, at a point thereon near the adjacentend of the companion-lever 40, with the end of the longer arm of thebell-crank 33, whereby the spring 34 normally maintains the fingers 41resiliently in the position in which they. are represented in Fi g. 4.

An ordinary Veeder counter 46 is shown to be fastened to the face of theplate 20 above the bracket 23 and has the crank on its Operating shaftconnected by a rod 47 with the longer bell-crank arm between vits ends(Fig. 4) to cause the counter to show the number of times the machinehas been operated by working the bell-crank as hereinafter described.`

The lmouth of the coin-chute is closed, when the magazine hereinafterdescribed, is empty, by a cover 48 on the forward end of an arm 4,8aloosely pivoted at its opposite end to an upwardly projecting ear on thebrace 22 and having a link-connection 49 with the end of the shorter armof a bellcrank 50 fulcrumed on a bearing 51 rising on the 'adjacentinwardly-turned end of the bracket 37. The longer arm of the bellcrank50 is slightly bent and performs the function, hereinafter moredefinitely described, of preventing closure of the coinchute mouth bythe cover 48 until the magazine has become empty.

The magazine 11, which is open along its face and provided with inwardlyprojecting fianges on its sides for retaining the cartons 12, is of awidth to adapt it to extend through the bracket 37, and of the length ofthe base 10. It is fastened through its back to transverse strips 52 and53 secured to the face of the base respectively near its upper end andat the lower end of the metal 'plate 20. These strips serve to space theback of the magazine from the face of the base 10 and to permit theparts of the mechanism in that space to work freely. Vith 'the magazineloaded With cartons containing articles to be Vended, and the casingcovering it in place, the lower Outlet-end 11a of the magazine registerswith and curves forwardly to- Ward the discharge-opening 14a in thecasing. In that position of the magazine, also, the points 41a registerwith and work through apertures 54 in its sides as do the feet 41bthrough the apertures 55 in the same to support the pile of cartons; andthe bent longer arm of the bell-crank 50 registers with a Vertical slot56 in the adjacent side of the magazine for the purpose hereinafterexplained.

The parts of the mechanism are illustrated in their normal relativepositions in Figs. 2 and 5, with a pile of cartons 12 in the magazineresting on the feet 41b and a followerweight 57 suspended by a chainfrom the upper end of the base 10 to bear against the top-of the pilefor insuring the delivery.

To operate the machine, a suitable coin is inserted into the slot 18 toenter and drop through the coin-chute and lodge in the pocket-member 35and supplemental member formed by the space produced by the undercuthead 27, wherein the coin is arrested in the inner corner of the recess29 with a portion of its edge in the path of the cam-edge 30a on the endof the push-bar. By then Operating the push-bar that camedge bearsagainst the edge of the coin, forc- `ing the latter against thepocket-member 35 and out of the aforesaid supplemental pocket-member,but holding the coin against dropping by its confinement between thelower corner of the recess 29 and the incompletely moved pocket-member.In the meantime, the pawl 31 holds the push-bar against retraction underthe force of its retracting .spring 58. That partial inward stroke ofthe push-bar has caused the coin to turn the bell-crank 33 sufiicientlyto depress the link 45 and turn the two levers 40 and 42 far enough tocause the points 41a to spear the ends of the carton immediately abovethe lowermost and prevent delivery of more than one, the lowermostpackage. This mutually approaching movement of the points isinsuflicient, however, to spread apart the feet 41b far enough to freethe lowermost package and enable it to drop for delivery at thecasing-opening 14a. In completing the stroke of the push-bar, the stud32 encounters and engages the cam-finger and thus effects furtherturning of the bell-crank to release the coin, which drops into thereceptacle 13, and further depression of the link 45 and longer arms ofthe L-shaped levers on their fulcrums 38, 39, with the result of drivingthe points somewhat deeper into the carton-ends penetrated by them andwithdrawing the supports 41b from the 10W- ermost package, whichthereupon drops to delivery.

On completing the inner stroke of and releasing the push-bar it isretracted by the spring 58 into normal position, and the spring 34restores the bell-crank 33 and parts connected therewith by the link 45to their normal positions, wherein the points 41a are withdrawn throughthe casing-apertures 54 and the ledges 41b are protruding into thecasing through the apertures 55 for the supporting purpose.

The lowermost package in the magazine bears against the end of thelevel` 50 to keep the latter out of its path, with the effect of causingthe link-rod 49 to keep the pivotally carried chute-cover 48 raisedabove the mouth of the chute, as represented. When the magazine isempty, the weight of the cover and parts connected with it causes it todrop in front of the chute-mouth, thereby incidentally turning the bentend of the lever 50 through the slots 56 into the magazine, since thereis nothing in the latter to obstruct such entry of the lever-'nd and theaccompanying dropping of the cover.

Each complete movement (back and forth) of the bell-crank 3, through itslinkconnection 47 with the counter 46, operates the latter.

The somewhat complicated construction of the present machine hasrendered necessary, for readily understanding it and the operation, theforegoing detaileddescription of its parts. I realize, however, thatconsiderable Variation is possible in the details of construction thusshown and described, and I do not intend by illustrating such specificor preferred embodiment of my invention to be limited thereto; myintention being in the following claims to claim protection upon all thenovelty there may be in my invention as broadly as the state of the artwill permit.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apackage-vending machine involving a casing-covered base, coin-operatedmechanism on said base, comprising a bracket, a spring-retractedpush-bar supported on the bracket and provided with a beveled inner endand a stud, a head spaced from the base and containing a recess throughwhich the push-bar operates, a spring-retracted bell-crank having apocket- 'member adjacent to said head and provided with a cam-fingerextending into the path of said Stud, and a coin-chute discharging tosaid pocket-member.

2. In a package-vending machine involving a casing-covered base,coin-operated mechanism on said base, comprising a bracket, aspring-retracted push-bar supported on the bracket and provided with abeveled inner end and a Stud, a head forming a coin-lodging space andcontaining a recess through which the push-bar operates, aspring-retracted bell-crank having a camlike pocket-member adjacent toand coperating with the space under said head and provided With acam-finger extending into the path of said Stud, and a coin-chutedischarging to said pocket-member and space.

A. W. LoBB, M. B. MILLs.

